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Kansas county commissioner tells black woman he's part of 'master race' during meeting

Officials urge him to resign

Posted: 11:05 PM, Nov 14, 2018

Updated:2018-11-16 13:36:56Z

By:
Ariel Rothfield

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Multiple officials in Leavenworth County, Kansas are urging a county commissioner to resign after the white commissioner told a black woman at a meeting that he was part of "the master race."

Leavenworth County Commissioner Louis Klemp made the comments at a meeting about a land-use study on Tuesday.

"I don’t want you to think I am picking on you because we are part of the master race. You have a gap in your teeth. We are part of the master race, don’t you forget that," Klemp said.

“It affects all of Leavenworth. This has been such negative publicity. It affects us. It affects the city,” Leavenworth mayor Mark Preisinger said. “It’s a stain on our community and it has to be removed.”

"I was shocked. I was in disbelief," fellow commissioner Robert Holland said. "He should resign. I don't care if he's got two days left, he should resign."

Klemp did not respond to a formal request for an interview, though he implied off-camera that he meant the comment as a joke

This is not the first time the commissioner's remarks have sparked controversy.